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The Facebook Love Triangle

It seems as though I spot a new article almost daily convicting FB of a multitude of crimes – crimes against the sanctity of solid relationships, that is. Apparently, many ex-couples are pointing fingers at FB as the cause of their breakup.

But is Facebook really that evil?

You may have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of participating in an online social network, but ultimately the threat is not the technology – it is the choices you make online and offline – in cyberspace and real life.

Consider these safe-guards:

Discuss with your partner the scope and boundaries of your social networking. Is joining sex related groups out of bounds? What is the limit of personal information that you will share? Are you both comfortable if the other chats with new FB friends of the opposite gender? ? Don’t post negative informa­tion about your partner or your relationship.

Choose your friends wisely. Ask: Would my partner be ok with me befriending this person? And remember, you can always unfriend. Do you POST AND HOPE

As tempting as it is – don’t triangulate with FB – share directly with your partner everything that you want them to hear/read, rather than ‘posting and hoping’ that s/he will read it. Respect yourself, your partner, and your relationship by sharing honestly, clearly, and directly. If you feel a charge as you read your written word, take a break before you decide if it’s ‘fit to print’ or if it needs recomposing.

1. Using FB Excessively Has Ties To Romantic Partner Conflict

A doctoral student from University of Missouri School of Journalism found that the more someone is using Facebook then the more likely they will get into conflict with his or her partner. In the study, recipients were asked how often they used Facebook and how much conflict arose because of Facebook. Turns out that high levels of Facebook use can predict terrible outcomes like cheating, breaking up, and even divorce.

2. Your Facebook Bragging Is Doing More Harm Than Good

We get it! You're in a relationship and you want others to know that you're not lonely anymore. But updating and bragging constantly about you significant other has been shown to be more about your insecurity than happiness thanks to a recent study.

Another tidbit—a survey found that people are very much annoyed with relationship braggers. When the study's participants were asked to rank fictional profiles they said that relationship oversharers were the people they least liked.

3. It's Having A Stronger Negative Affect On Young Relationships

We have stated before that people who use Facebook a lot are more likely to get into it with their partners, but it's also having a stronger affect with young couples. A researcher from St. Mary's University found through a survey that younger couples are more susceptible to letting Facebook get in between them.

4. It Increases Jealousy

A study has found that Facebook sparks jealousy in a relationship thanks to a number of factors. After giving a survey to 308 college students, researchers found that 19.1 percent get jealous due to being able to see more information of what their partners are doing, 16.2 percent of students flat out said Facebook is a link to jealousy for them, 10.3 percent find it hard to not Facebook stalk their partners, and 7.4 percent said Facebook is ambiguous and therefore created misunderstandings with their partners.

5. Your Selfies Are Making Your Partner Feel Less Supported

It's time to really evaluate what you're sharing! Lead researcher Dr. David Houghton found that relationship partners feel less supported when their partners share more photos of friends and events than family.

6. There Is A Correlation Between Facebook And Divorce

Want a lasting marriage? Stay off of social media sites in general! At least that's the advice of a study that found that use of social media networks, especially Facebook, can be a predictor of divorce. When looking at populations, they found that a 20 percent increase of Facebook users correlated with a 2.18 percent increase in the divorce rate.

A doctoral student from University of Missouri School of Journalism found that the more someone is using Facebook then the more likely they will get into conflict with his or her partner. In the study, recipients were asked how often they used Facebook and how much conflict arose because of Facebook. Turns out that high levels of Facebook use can predict terrible outcomes like cheating, breaking up, and even divorce.